The only way that the SSA would know that you have any hidden cash at home when on SSI is if you reported it or if someone you know reported it to the SSA.
While the SSA states that you cannot have hidden cash at home that brings your assets over the $2,000.00 limit, they really don't know and cannot know.
The hidden cash at home and even having other assets is more of a problem if you're someone's payee and are handling their SSI payments, as payees must keep track of where the money goes by saving receipts and reporting that information.
But if you're an adult and you get your own SSI, you're actually free to spend that SSI money on anything and you don't have to keep track of every purchase or every receipt.
My own brother who is almost 50 gets SSI and has for 20 years now and he has cashed saved at home in a safe, and he withdraws money in cash from the bank every month and they have not checked on it or known about the cash.
He does sometimes get audited with a call but often only every few years or so and they just ask him about his assets and his vehicle he drives and that is about it and he's been fine.
While you legally have to be truthful, they really have no way of knowing if you're truthful and they are so understaffed that the main workers really don't care, it's mainly their boss that cares.
My brother has a tractor, has built a garage, has a motorbike, ATV, a few lawnmowers etc and he has never had any issues.
The savings that count toward SSI are any savings that make you exceed your total countable resources of $2,000.00 for an individual or $3,000.00 for a married couple.
The SSA for SSI counts any cash, bank accounts, stocks and even property as resources.
The SSA considers that anything that you own, which could be converted into cash and used for food or shelter as a countable resource and these countable resources include cash on hand, checking and saving account balances, U.S. savings bonds, stocks and mutual aids, land and real estate, "except your primary home" and life insurance policies that have a combined face value of more than $1,500.00.
However not all things you own count toward the SSI limit.
When applying for and being on SSI, the SSA exempts your primary residence, which is the home you live in and the land it sits on, one vehicle that is used for transportation is excluded regardless of it's value if it's used for transportation.
And personal and household items like clothes, furniture, personal effects and even burial funds, like up to $1,500.00 set aside for burial expenses for you and your spouse.
And any specialized accounts up to $100,000.00 that are held in an ABLE Account for individuals whose disability began before age 46 or any funds saved under an SSA approved PASS Plan.